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Environmental Issues
December 2009
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GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................... 9
AGRICULTURAL LAND TENURE AND CARBON OFFSETS. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Roger Claassen and Mitch Morehart. September 23, 2009. ......................................... 9
THE THIRD REPORT ON THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT STATUS AND
PROGRESS FOR AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 ACTIVITIES
AND PROJECTS. Council on Environmental Quality. November 2, 2009. ....................... 9
ADVANCING THE NATIONAL PARK IDEA. U.S. Department of Interior. September 2009. 9
A FRAMEWORK FOR CATEGORIZING THE RELATIVE VULNERABILITY OF THREATENED AND
ENDANGERED SPECIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE (External Review Draft)| U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Nov 25, 2009 ............................................................................ 9
METHANE TO M ARKETS: THE U.S. GOVERNMENT’S METHANE TO MARKETS PARTNERSHIP
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. October 21, 2009. ......... 10
MODEL YEAR 2010: FUEL ECONOMY GUIDE. U.S. Department of Energy and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. October 15, 2009. .............................................. 10
REPORT TO CONGRESS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DIESEL EMISSIONS REDUCTION PROGRAM.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. October 14, 2009. ....................................... 10
NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS: DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS
FOR AIRCRAFT PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS. U.S. Environment Protection Agency. October 6,
2009. ................................................................................................................ 10
FINAL MANDATORY REPORTING OF GREENHOUSE GASES RULE. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. September 22, 2009. ............................................................... 11
FINAL AMENDMENTS TO NEW SOURCE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND EMISSION
GUIDELINES FOR HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, AND INFECTIOUS WASTE INCINERATORS. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. September 16, 2009. .......................................... 11
COAL ASH REPORTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. September 16, 2009...... 11
ESTIMATED USE OF WATER IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2005. U.S. Geological Survey.
Joan F. Kenny et al. October 27, 2009. ................................................................. 11
ENERGY-WATER NEXUS: IMPROVEMENTS TO FEDERAL WATER USE DATA WOULD
INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF TRENDS IN POWER PLANT WATER USE. U.S. Government
Accountability Office. October 16, 2009. ................................................................ 12
CLEAN AIR ACT: MERCURY CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES AT COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS
HAVE ACHIEVED SUBSTANTIAL EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS. U.S. Government
Accountability Office. October 8, 2009. .................................................................. 12
ARCTIC REPORT CARD: UPDATE FOR 2009. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. October 22, 2009. ........................................................................ 12
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U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE PROPOSES POLAR BEAR CRITICAL HABITAT. U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service. October 22, 2009. .................................................................................. 12
CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS (HEARINGS, REPORTS, ETC.).................................. 13
CLIMATE CHANGE: COMPARISON OF THE CAP-AND-TRADE PROVISIONS IN H.R. 2454
AND S. 1733. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Brent D. Yacobucci et
al. November 5, 2009. ......................................................................................... 13
MANAGING ELECTRONIC WASTE: ISSUES WITH EXPORTING E-WASTE. Congressional
Research Service, Library of Congress. Linda Luther. October 2009. .......................... 13
THE WHITE HOUSE ................................................................................................................... 13
COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE AT HOME AND AROUND THE WORLD. The White House
Blog. Posted by Heather Zichal on November 25, 2009 at 03:36 PM EST ................... 13
RECOVERY THROUGH RETROFIT. Middle Class Task Force, Council on Environmental
Quality. October 19, 2009. ................................................................................... 14
THINK TANKS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS .................................................14
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE .......................................................................... 14
ORGANIZED HYPOCRISY AS A TOOL OF CLIMATE DIPLOMACY. Lee Lane, W. David
Montgomery. AEI Online, (December 2009) ........................................................... 14
CLIMATE CHANGE: THE RESILIENCE OPTION. By Kenneth P. Green. AEI Online, October
2009 ................................................................................................................. 14
GROWING U.S. TRADE IN GREEN TECHNOLOGY. American Enterprise Institute for Public
Policy Research. Steven F. Hayward. October 7, 2009. ............................................ 14
AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL ............................................................................. 15
2008 UNITED STATES NATIONAL POST-CONSUMER PLASTICS BOTTLE RECYCLING
REPORT. Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers and American Chemistry Council.
October 28, 2009. ............................................................................................... 15
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION ...................................................................................... 15
ON THE MERITS OF A CARBON TAX. Testimony by Ted Gayer before the U.S. Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, December 02, 2009. The Brookings
Institution. ......................................................................................................... 15
THE GEOPOLITICS OF ARCTIC MELT. Charles K. Ebinger, Evie Zambetakis. The Brookings
Institution, November 10, 2009 ............................................................................ 15
CENTER FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................ 15
RECONCILING CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRADE POLICY. Center for Global Development.
Aaditya Mattoo et al. November 10, 2009. ............................................................. 15
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CAN GLOBAL DE-CARBONIZATION INHIBIT DEVELOPING COUNTRY INDUSTRIALIZATION?
Center for Global Development. Aaditya Mattoo et al. November 10, 2009. ................ 16
ENERGY NEEDS AND EFFICIENCY, NOT EMISSIONS: RE-FRAMING THE CLIMATE CHANGE
NARRATIVE. Center for Global Development. Nancy Birdsall and Arvind Subramanian.
November 9, 2009. ............................................................................................. 16
CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW .................................................. 16
IS WORLD TRADE LAW A BARRIER TO SAVING OUR CLIMATE? Nathalie BernasconiOsterwalder and Johannes Norpoth. Center for International Environmental Law ........ 16
CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES ................................................. 16
WATER AND AGRICULTURE: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH. Center for
Strategic & International Studies. John Briscoe et al. November 10, 2009. ................. 16
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY .......................................................................... 17
THE EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY--WHO WE ARE | WHAT WE DO | HOW WE DO IT.
EEA, 24 Nov 2009 ............................................................................................... 17
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS IN EUROPE 2009. EEA, 12 Nov
2009 ................................................................................................................. 17
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH .......................................................................................... 17
GETTING A GRIP ON CRUISE SHIP POLLUTION. Ross Klein. Friends of the Earth,
December 1, 2009 .............................................................................................. 17
SMALLER, SIMPLER AND MORE STABLE: DESIGNING CARBON MARKETS FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FINANCIAL INTEGRITY. Friends of the Earth. September 2009. 17
HARVARD .............................................................................................................. 18
THREE PILLARS OF POST-2012 INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE POLICY. Harvard Project on
International Climate Agreements. Sheila M. Olmstead and Robert N. Stavins. October 23,
2009. ................................................................................................................ 18
HERITAGE FOUNDATION ......................................................................................... 18
HOW OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION BENEFITS THE ECONOMY AND THE
ENVIRONMENT. Bruce Allen. Backgrounder #2341. Heritage Foundation, November 30,
2009 ................................................................................................................. 18
THE CLEAN ENERGY ACT OF 2009: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR REAL NUCLEAR ENERGY
POLICY REFORM. Jack Spencer and Nicolas Loris. WebMemo #2709. Heitage Foundation,
November 23, 2009 ............................................................................................ 18
WHAT AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COPENHAGEN GLOBAL WARMING
CONFERENCE. Ben Lieberman. Special Report #71. Heritage Foundation, November 17,
2009 ................................................................................................................. 19
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES........................... 19
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE ROADMAP. ICLEI online ........................................... 19
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INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT ........................... 19
COMMUNITY-BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Participatory Learning and
Action No.60. IIED, Dec 2009. .............................................................................. 19
THE LANCET.COM ................................................................................................... 19
HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE. The Lancet.com, Launched in London, Nov 25, 2009 . 19
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CLEAN WATER AGENCIES ............................................... 20
CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGE: AN EARLY ANALYSIS OF WATER AND WASTEWATER
ADAPTATION COSTS. National Association of Clean Water Agencies. October 28, 2009.20
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH ..................................................... 20
Antarctic Warming, Antarctic Cooling. By Rachel Hauser. UCAR ................................ 20
NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION............................................................................... 20
STATE GREEN ECONOMY PROFILES. National Governors Association. Mary Jo Waits and
Sue Gander. September 29, 2009. ........................................................................ 20
NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION ...................................................... 20
NATIONAL PARKS|Fall 2009 ................................................................................. 20
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ............................................................................ 21
GEO VISION: UNRAVELING EARTH’S COMPLEXITIES THROUGH THE GEOSCIENCES.
National Science Foundation. October 15, 2009. ..................................................... 21
OCEANA ................................................................................................................ 21
MAJOR EMITTERS AMONG HARDEST HIT BY OCEAN ACIDIFICATION. Oceana, December
3, 2009 ............................................................................................................. 21
ASHTA CHEMICALS’ ZERO MERCURY EMISSIONS CLAIM REFUTED BY AIR MONITORING.
Oceana, October 1, 2009 ..................................................................................... 21
ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT'S (OECD) .............. 21
OECD/IEA ANNEX I EXPERT GROUP RELEASES FIVE NEW PAPERS FOR COP15
COPENHAGEN. 03-Dec-2009 ................................................................................ 21
FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE: The OECD is ready to assist G20 countries in their efforts
to find lasting solutions to finance action on climate change, building on the long-standing
work of the organization to share country experiences and identify lessons learnt and
policy recommendations for good practice .............................................................. 22
OXFAM INTERNATIONAL.......................................................................................... 22
BOLIVIA: CLIMATE CHANGE, POVERTY AND ADAPTATION. Oxfam International. Web
posted November 3, 2009. ................................................................................... 22
EXPOSED: SOCIAL VULNERABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE U.S. SOUTHEAST.
Oxfam America. October 21, 2009. ....................................................................... 22
PEW ..................................................................................................................... 23
CONGRESSIONAL POLICY BRIEF SERIES. Pew Center on Global Climate Change,
November 2008 .................................................................................................. 23
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DESIGN MATTERS: MAKING CATCH SHARES WORK. Pew Environment Group. November
2009. ................................................................................................................ 23
MODEST SUPPORT FOR “CAP AND TRADE” POLICY: FEWER AMERICANS SEE SOLID
EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING. Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Andrew Kohut. October 22, 2009. ......................................................................... 23
AMERICAN CLEAN ENERGY LEADERSHIP ACT (ACELA): SUMMARY & COMPARISON TO THE
ACES ACT. Pew Center on Global Climate Change. October 2009. ............................. 23
PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ............................................................... 24
HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS IN HEALTH CARE: A SNAPSHOT OF CHEMICALS IN DOCTORS
AND NURSES. Physicians for Social Responsibility. Bobbi Chase Wilding et al. October
2009. ................................................................................................................ 24
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS ................................................................................ 24
CARBON DISCLOSURE PROJECT 2009: GLOBAL 500 REPORT. Price Waterhouse Coopers.
2009. ................................................................................................................ 24
RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE ................................................................................. 24
FOREST CARBON INDEX. Resources for the Future and Forestcarbonindex.org, December
3, 2009 ............................................................................................................. 24
MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS: A REVIEW AND SUMMARY
OF REMOTE SENSING TECHNICAL CAPABILITY, 2009–2015. Matthew Fagan, Ruth
DeFries. RFF Report, December 2009 .................................................................... 24
U.S. LEADERSHIP IN COPENHAGEN. Nigel Purvis, Andrew R Stevenson. Backgrounder.
RFF, November 2009 ........................................................................................... 25
TRUST FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH ............................................................................... 25
HEALTH CARE PROBLEMS HEAT UP: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PUBLIC’S HEALTH. Trust
for America’s Health. Jeffrey Levi et al. October 26, 2009. ....................................... 25
UNIVERSITY
OF NEW SOUTH WALES ......................................................................... 25
THE COPENHAGEN DIAGNOSIS, 2009: UPDATING THE WORLD ON THE LATEST CLIMATE
SCIENCE. The University of New South Wales Climate Change Research Centre (CCRC),
November 25, 2009 ............................................................................................ 25
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP) ............................................... 26
STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2009: FACING A CHANGING WORLD: WOMEN,
POPULATION AND CLIMATE. U.N. Population Fund. November 2009. ......................... 26
AT THE FRONTIER: YOUNG PEOPLE AND CLIMATE CHANGE. U.N. Population Fund.
November 2009. ................................................................................................. 26
WORLD BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ................................... 26
FIRST INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC ROADMAP EXAMINES EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS IN CEMENT
INDUSTRY. WBCSD, 3 December 2009 .................................................................. 26
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THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION (IUCN) .............................................................. 27
IUCN POSITION PAPERS FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO
THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (COP15), 7TH –
18TH DECEMBER, 2009, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK .................................................. 27
1. NO TIME TO LOSE – MAKE FULL USE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN THE POST2012 CLIMATE CHANGE REGIME. .......................................................................... 27
2. ECOSYSTEM-BASED ADAPTATION IN THE NEGOTIATING TEXTS AND SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTS. IUCN. ............................................................................................ 27
3. REDUCING EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION (REDD)
IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ................................................................................ 27
4.
THE OCEAN AND COASTS ............................................................................. 28
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE ............................................................................... 28
FACT SHEET: STACKING PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. World Resources
Institute. Nicholas Bianco. November 12, 2009. ...................................................... 28
REVIEWING AND VERIFYING INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ACTION. World Resources
Institute. Paul Joffe. November 11, 2009. .............................................................. 28
POWER, RESPONSIBILITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY: RE-THINKING THE LEGITIMACY OF
INSTITUTIIONS FOR CLIMATE FINANCE. World Resource Institute. Athena Ballesteros et
al. Web posted November 2, 2009. ....................................................................... 28
GETTING TO YES ON CLIMATE CHANGE – ACTION OF OTHER COUNTRIES: HEARING
BEFORE THE UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC
WORKS. Testimony of Jonathan Lash, World Resources Institute. October 29, 2009. ... 28
WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE....................................................................................... 29
UNITED STATES UNDER PRESSURE TO PROTECT TROPICAL FORESTS. Worldwatch
Institute. Ben Block. October 19, 2009. ................................................................. 29
WORLD WILDLIFE FEDERATION ............................................................................... 29
ZERO NET DEFORESTATION BY 2020. W orld Wildlife Fund. November 19, 2009. ....... 29
CLIMATE SOLUTIONS 2: LOW-CARBON RE-INDUSTRALISATION. World Wildlife Fund. Karl
Mallon et al. October 19, 2009. ............................................................................ 29
YALE UNIVERSITY .................................................................................................. 29
AWAITING CLIMATE ACCORD, GOVERNMENTS TOY WITH DUBIOUS MEASURES.
YaleGlobal. Doaa Abdel Motaal. November 6, 2009. ................................................ 29
BEYOND COPENHAGEN: HOW TO COOL THE PLANET. YaleGlobal. Peter Heat et al. October
21, 2009............................................................................................................ 30
HOW NOT TO KILL THE OCEANS FOR FISH. YaleGlobal. Alex David Rogers. September 18,
2009. ................................................................................................................ 30
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ARTICLES FROM U.S. JOURNALS .........................................................................................30
WHEN THE GLACIER LEFT- In surprising ways, a Himalayan village adapts to a changing
climate. By Jonathan Mingle. Boston.com, November 29, 2009 ................................. 30
IS GLOBAL WARMING UNSTOPPABLE? THEORY ALSO SAYS ENERGY CONSERVATION
DOESN'T HELP. The News Center, Univ. of Utah. Nov. 22, 2009 ............................... 30
COUNTDOWN TO COPENHAGEN. Stokes, Bruce. National Journal, October 31, 2009 ... 31
THE NEW ENERGY BEAT. Brainard, Curtis; Russell, Cristine. Columbia Journalism Review,
September/October 2009..................................................................................... 31
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GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
AGRICULTURAL LAND TENURE AND CARBON OFFSETS. U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Roger Claassen and Mitch Morehart.
September 23, 2009.
The report examines the potential role that land ownership might play in
determining the agricultural sector’s involvement in carbon sequestration
programs. By estimating the carbon sequestration potential of agricultural
producers who own most of the land they operate, this report finds that
land ownership should not be a constraining factor in agriculture’s ability to
provide carbon offsets.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EB14/EB14.pdf [PDF format, 6 pages].
THE THIRD REPORT ON THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT STATUS AND
PROGRESS FOR AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 ACTIVITIES
AND PROJECTS. Council on Environmental Quality. November 2, 2009.
The report is an overview of the fifteen Executive Branch departments and nine agencies
required to report on their current NEPA status under the Recovery Act. As of September
30th, the departments and agencies reported on over 145,000 Recovery Act-funded projects
or activities. More than $131 billion Recovery Act dollars have been obligated for the reported
projects and activities. [PDF format, 12 pages].
http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/attachments/nov2009/CEQ_ARRA_NEPA_Report_Nov_02_2009.pdf
ADVANCING THE NATIONAL PARK IDEA. U.S. Department of
Interior. September 2009.
The report conveys the message that the National Park System is at a
crossroads, facing challenges such as urgent environmental problems, a
burgeoning population and critical needs in education. It calls for a new
vision recognizing the interrelationships between human beings and the
natural world and the need for a sustainable relationship between people
and the planet. [PDF format, 52 pages].
http://www.doi.gov/documents/Second_Century_Commission_Report.pdf
A FRAMEWORK FOR CATEGORIZING THE RELATIVE VULNERABILITY
OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE
(External Review Draft)| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Nov
25, 2009
NCEA/ORD has developed an evaluative framework that may be used to
categorize the relative vulnerability of species to climate change. This
framework is intended to provide information to ecosystem and resource
managers to support their decision making about management actions that
reflect consideration of those threatened and endangered species that are
most vulnerable to climate change. This framework also may be helpful in
supporting management decisions related to species not listed as threatened or endangered.
This report has undergone external peer review and is now posted for public comment.
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=203743
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METHANE TO M ARKETS: THE U.S. GOVERNMENT’S METHANE TO
MARKETS PARTNERSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. October 21, 2009.
The Methane to Markets Partnership plays an important role in promoting
methane capture and use projects internationally and reducing emissions of
methane globally. The report summarizes the contributions of participating
U.S. government agencies and highlights the projects and activities since
the launch of the Partnership in November 2004. Among accomplishments,
U.S. government initiated direct assistance agreements for methane
recovery and use projects in Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador,
India, Kyrgyz Republic, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Thailand, and Ukraine.
http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets/pdf/2009-accomplishreport/m2m_usg_fullreport.pdf
MODEL YEAR 2010: FUEL ECONOMY GUIDE. U.S. Department of
Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. October 15,
2009.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy
presents a guide, which gives consumers important information about
estimated fuel costs and mileage standards for model year 2010 vehicles.
[PDF format, 28 pages].
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/FEG2010.pdf
REPORT TO CONGRESS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DIESEL EMISSIONS
REDUCTION PROGRAM. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
October 14, 2009.
The report to Congress details the health, environmental and economic
benefits of the agency’s Diesel Emission Reduction Program. The program,
funded at $50 million last year, allowed EPA to fund the purchase or
retrofitting of 14,000 diesel-powered vehicles and pieces of equipment,
preventing respiratory illnesses and saving money in communities
nationwide. [PDF format, 60 pages].
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/documents/420r09006.pdf
NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS: DRINKING WATER
REGULATIONS FOR AIRCRAFT PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS. U.S. Environment Protection
Agency. October 6, 2009.
The primary purpose of the Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR) is to ensure that safe and
reliable drinking water is provided to aircraft passengers and crew. This entails providing air
carriers with a feasible way to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the
national primary drinking water regulations (NPDWRs). The existing regulations were designed
primarily with traditional, stationary public water systems in mind. Some of these
requirements have proven difficult to implement when applied to aircraft water systems, which
are operationally very different. Therefore, using a collaborative rulemaking process, EPA
developed the ADWR that is tailored to aircraft public water systems. [PDF format, 140 pages].
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/airlinewater/pdfs/ADWR_Final%20Rule.pdf
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FINAL MANDATORY REPORTING OF GREENHOUSE GASES RULE. U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. September 22, 2009.
On January 1, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will, for the first time, require
large emitters of heat-trapping emissions to begin collecting greenhouse gas (GHG) data under
a new reporting system. This new program will cover approximately 85 percent of the nation’s
GHG emissions and apply to roughly 10,000 facilities.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads09/FinalMandatoryGHGPreamble.pdf
Preamble [PDF format, 591 pages].
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads09/FinalMandatoryGHGReportingRule.pdf
Rule [PDF format, 711 pages].
FINAL AMENDMENTS TO NEW SOURCE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND EMISSION
GUIDELINES FOR HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, AND INFECTIOUS WASTE INCINERATORS.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. September 16, 2009.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is setting new limits that will affect most
existing hospital, medical, and infectious waste incinerators. This final action will reduce about
390,000 pounds of several pollutants each year including acid gases, nitrogen oxides, and
metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. EPA is also finalizing additional testing,
monitoring, and inspection requirements. [PDF format, 3 pages].
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/fact_sheets/hmiwi_fr_fs091509.pdf
COAL ASH REPORTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. September 16, 2009.
This is the final contractor reports assessing the structural integrity of 17 impoundments and
similar management units containing coal combustion residuals, commonly referred to as coal
ash, at nine facilities. These 17 impoundments have a “high” or “significant” hazard potential
rating. A high hazard potential rating is not related to the stability of those impoundments but
to the potential for harm should the impoundment fail. A significant hazard potential rating
means impoundment failure can cause economic loss, environmental damage, or damage to
infrastructure. [HTML format with links].
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/surveys2/index.htm#reports
ESTIMATED USE OF WATER IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2005. U.S.
Geological Survey. Joan F. Kenny et al. October 27, 2009.
Estimates of water use in the United States indicate that about 410 billion
gallons per day (Bgal/d) were withdrawn in 2005 for all categories
summarized. The total is slightly less than the estimate for 2000, and about
5 percent less than total withdrawals in the peak year of 1980. Freshwater
withdrawals in 2005 were 349 Bgal/d, or 85 percent of the total freshwater
and saline-water withdrawals. Fresh groundwater withdrawals of 79.6
Bgal/day in 2005 were about 5 percent less than in 2000, and fresh
surface-water withdrawals of 270 Bgal/day were about the same as in 2000.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1344/pdf/c1344.pdf [PDF format, 60 pages].
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ENERGY-WATER NEXUS: IMPROVEMENTS TO FEDERAL WATER USE
DATA WOULD INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF TRENDS IN POWER
PLANT WATER USE. U.S. Government Accountability Office. October
16, 2009.
In 2000, thermoelectric power plants accounted for 39 percent of total U.S.
freshwater withdrawals. Some of this water is consumed, and some is
discharged back to a water source. In the context of growing demands for
both water and electricity, the report discusses approaches to reduce
freshwater use by power plants and their drawbacks, states' consideration
of water use when reviewing proposals to build power plants, and the usefulness of federal
water data to experts and state regulators.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1023.pdf [PDF format, 78 pages].
CLEAN AIR ACT: MERCURY CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES AT COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS
HAVE ACHIEVED SUBSTANTIAL EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS. U.S. Government
Accountability Office. October 8, 2009.
The 491 U.S. coal-fired power plants are the largest unregulated industrial source of mercury
emissions nationwide, annually emitting about 48 tons of mercury--a toxic element that poses
health threats, including neurological disorders in children. GAO finds that commercial
deployments and 50 DOE and industry tests of sorbent injection systems have achieved, on
average, 90 percent reductions in mercury emissions. These systems are being used on 25
boilers at 14 coal-fired plants, enabling them to meet state or other mercury emission
requirements—generally 80 percent to 90 percent reductions.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1047.pdf [PDF format, 47 pages].
ARCTIC REPORT CARD: UPDATE FOR 2009. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. October 22, 2009.
Despite the fact that summer 2009 had more sea ice than in 2007 or 2008,
scientists are seeing drastic changes in the region from just five years ago
and at rates faster than anticipated, according to the report, a collaborative
effort of 71 national and international scientists. “The Arctic is a special and
fragile place on this planet,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary
for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Climate change is
happening faster in the Arctic than any other place on Earth, and with wideranging consequences. When I visited the northern corners of Alaska’s Arctic region earlier this
year, I saw an area abundant with natural resources, diverse wildlife, proud local and native
peoples, and a most uncertain future.” [PDF format, 77 pages].
http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/ArcticReportCard_full_report.pdf
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE PROPOSES POLAR BEAR CRITICAL HABITAT. U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service. October 22, 2009.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife presents proposal to designate critical habitat for the polar bear. The
critical habitat proposal identifies habitat in three separate areas or units: barrier island
habitat, sea ice habitat and terrestrial denning habitat. The total area proposed for designation
would cover approximately 200,541 square miles and is found entirely within the lands and
waters of the United States. [PDF format, 3 pages].
http://www.fws.gov/home/feature/2009/pdf/PBCritHabPropNRFINAL.pdf
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CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS (HEARINGS, REPORTS, ETC.)
CLIMATE CHANGE: COMPARISON OF THE CAP-AND-TRADE
PROVISIONS IN H.R. 2454 AND S. 1733. Congressional
Research Service, Library of Congress. Brent D. Yacobucci
et al. November 5, 2009.
This report provides a comparison of the cap-and-trade provisions
of H.R. 2454 and S. 1733. Most notably, there are six key
differences between the bills: (1) the Senate bill has a more
stringent emissions cap between 2017 and 2029; (2) the two bills allocate emissions
allowances and auction revenue to different recipients at different levels; (3) the bills would
treat offsets differently; (4) the House bill would establish extensive carbon market regulation
(the Senate bill currently has a placeholder for this topic); (5) the House bill would establish a
requirement that importers purchase special emission allowances for certain imports from
countries without greenhouse gas controls (the Senate bill currently has a placeholder for this
topic); and 6) both bills would limit the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to
regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, although in different ways.
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40896_20091105.pdf [PDF format, 58 pages].
MANAGING ELECTRONIC WASTE: ISSUES WITH EXPORTING E-WASTE. Congressional
Research Service, Library of Congress. Linda Luther. October 2009.
Electronic waste (e-waste) is a term that is used loosely to refer to obsolete, broken, or
irreparable electronic devices like televisions, computer central processing units (CPUs),
computer monitors, laptops, printers, scanners, and associated wiring. Although there may be
limited data regarding how e-waste is managed, the consequences of export to countries that
manage it improperly are becoming increasingly evident. The impacts associated with e-waste
exports have led to concerns from environmental organizations, members of the public, and
some Members of Congress. [PDF format, 15 pages].
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40850.pdf
THE WHITE HOUSE
COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE AT HOME AND AROUND THE WORLD. The White House
Blog. Posted by Heather Zichal on November 25, 2009 at 03:36 PM EST
Some exciting announcements today from the White House on our efforts to combat climate
change and lay the foundation for a clean energy economy! The President will be attending
the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP 15) next month, and he
will take with him an emissions reduction target to drive progress toward a comprehensive and
operational Copenhagen accord.
(…)
The international climate summit will bring together delegations from 192 nations and will be
visited by approximately 15,000 people. For the first time in the series of these conferences,
the U.S. delegation will have a U.S. Center, providing a unique and interactive forum to share
our story with the world. The Center will host over 70 events during the two-week conference
that will highlight the strong actions the U.S. is taking at home as well as the leadership role
the U.S. is pursuing internationally to combat global climate change.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/25/combating-climate-change-home-and-around-world
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RECOVERY THROUGH RETROFIT. Middle Class Task Force, Council on
Environmental Quality. October 19, 2009.
The study builds on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act to expand green
job opportunities and boost energy savings by making homes more energy
efficient.
[PDF format, 14 pages].
http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Recovery_Through_Retrofit_Final_Report.pdf
THINK TANKS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
ORGANIZED HYPOCRISY AS A TOOL OF CLIMATE DIPLOMACY. Lee
Lane, W. David Montgomery. AEI Online, (December 2009)
Over twenty years of greenhouse gas (GHG) control talks have had no
discernable impact on emissions, and the Copenhagen Conference of
Parties (COP-15) meeting is most unlikely to break that pattern. While all
countries claim to want to lower GHG emissions, most developing
countries refuse to pay the costs of capping their emissions. Many
developed countries are clearly also reluctant to pay GHG control costs
either for themselves or for the developing world. Yet without tight,
nearly global emission limits, GHG levels in the atmosphere will continue to rise; therefore,
countries need a broader long-term strategy for lessening the potential harm from a changing
climate. http://www.aei.org/outlook/100095
CLIMATE CHANGE: THE RESILIENCE OPTION. By Kenneth P. Green. AEI Online,
October 2009
The Earth's climate is prone to sharp changes over fairly short periods of time. Plans that focus
simply on stopping climate change are unlikely to succeed; fluctuations in the Earth's climate
predate humanity. Rather than try to make the climate static, policymakers should focus on
implementing resilience strategies to enable adaptation to a dynamic, changing climate.
Resilience strategies can be successful if we eliminate current risk subsidies and privatize
infrastructure.
http://www.aei.org/outlook/100078
GROWING U.S. TRADE IN GREEN TECHNOLOGY. American Enterprise Institute for
Public Policy Research. Steven F. Hayward. October 7, 2009.
The two main issues that should be considered when assessing the prospects for increased
export potential for American energy technology are the actual dynamics of the present
market environment and the cross-cutting factors that will come to bear on how trade flows
will unfold in the real world, according to the testimony. [PDF format, 4 pages].
http://www.aei.org/docLib/10709%20Hayward%20Testimony.pdf
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AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL
2008 UNITED STATES NATIONAL POST-CONSUMER PLASTICS BOTTLE RECYCLING
REPORT. Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers and American Chemistry
Council. October 28, 2009.
Plastic bottle recycling by consumers increased 75 million pounds in 2008 (up 3.2%), to reach
a record high of more than 2.4 billion pounds for the year, according to the report. The report
also found that the results reflect a continuing increase in the pounds of bottles collected for
recycling each year since the industry survey began in 1990. The recycling rate for plastic
bottles rose nearly 3 percent to reach 27 percent. [PDF format, 10 pages].
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/sec_content.asp?CID=1593&DID=10383
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
ON THE MERITS OF A CARBON TAX. Testimony by Ted Gayer before the U.S. Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, December 02, 2009. The Brookings
Institution.
A carbon tax is the most economically efficient way to address climate change, says Ted Gayer
in testimony before the Senate Energy Committee. While it might be politically unpopular, he
says it is well worth considering because it helps generate public revenues that can be used to
offset economically harmful taxes, and it is less susceptible than cap-and-trade to economically
disruptive price volatility.
http://www.brookings.edu/testimony/2009/1202_carbon_tax_gayer.aspx
THE GEOPOLITICS OF ARCTIC MELT. Charles K. Ebinger, Evie Zambetakis. The
Brookings Institution, November 10, 2009
The significance of an Arctic rendered increasingly accessible by the melting of ice as a result
of rising global temperatures should not be underestimated. As the region opens to increased
human activity such as traffic from commercial shipping, tourism, and oil and gas exploration,
soot emitted by maritime vessels and operations will land on the ice. Greying of the icecap, as
black carbon from incomplete hydrocarbon combustion lodges itself in snow and ice, causes
what was once a reflective surface to absorb more sunlight, melt, and warm the water. The
resulting dangerous feedback loop is part of an alarming phenomenon that is pushing the
current drive for policies to slow down climate change.
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2009/11_arctic_melt_ebinger_zambetakis.aspx
CENTER FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
RECONCILING CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRADE POLICY. Center for
Global Development. Aaditya Mattoo et al. November 10, 2009.
There is growing clamor in industrial countries for additional border taxes
on imports from countries with lower carbon prices. A key factor affecting
the impact of these taxes is whether they are based on the carbon content
of imports or the carbon content in domestic production. The study
estimates suggest that the former action when applied to all merchandise
imports would address competitiveness and environmental concerns in high
income countries but with serious consequences for trading partners.
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1423204/
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CAN GLOBAL DE-CARBONIZATION INHIBIT DEVELOPING COUNTRY
INDUSTRIALIZATION? Center for Global Development. Aaditya Mattoo et al.
November 10, 2009.
According to the authors, most economic analyses of climate change have focused on the
aggregate impact on countries of mitigation actions. They focus particularly on manufacturing
output and exports because of the potential growth consequences. They also decompose the
impact of an agreement on emissions reductions into three components: the change in the
price of carbon due to each country’s emission cuts per se; the further change in this price due
to emissions tradability; and the changes due to any international transfers, private and public.
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1423203/
ENERGY NEEDS AND EFFICIENCY, NOT EMISSIONS: RE-FRAMING THE CLIMATE
CHANGE NARRATIVE. Center for Global Development. Nancy Birdsall and Arvind
Subramanian. November 9, 2009.
The basic narrative on climate change between the rich and poor worlds has been problematic.
The focus on emissions has made industrial countries inadequately sensitive to the unmet
energy needs in developing countries. And it has led developing countries to adopt the rhetoric
of recrimination and focus on the legacy of historical emissions by industrial countries. The
ensuing blame game has led to the current gridlock, according to the report.
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1423191 [HTML format with a
link].
CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
IS WORLD TRADE LAW A BARRIER TO SAVING OUR CLIMATE?
Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder and Johannes Norpoth. Center for
International Environmental Law
A large variety of climate measures are needed to decarbonise the global
economy and mitigate climate change. Industries need to change their way
of production and be more energy efficient. Consumers need to switch to
using more energy efficient computers, refrigerators, light bulbs, etc.
Transport modes have to change and cars have to become more fuel
efficient in order to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Renewable
energies and zero emission technologies need to be boosted to be able to
satisfy energy demand in the future and become commercially viable.
http://www.ciel.org/Publications/ClimateTradeReport_foee-ciel_sep09.pdf
CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
WATER AND AGRICULTURE: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH.
Center for Strategic & International Studies. John Briscoe et al. November 10, 2009.
At a time of mounting population pressures, environmental declines, and growing demand for
water, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) convened international leaders from government,
the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and academia to share their expertise in
water, agriculture, and global development. In the realm of technology and innovation,
contributing authors point to drip irrigation, drought-resistant plant breeding, wastewater
treatment for irrigation reuse, and satellite-based assessments as promising tools to enhance
water efficiency and agricultural production. [PDF format, 117 pages].
http://csis.org/files/publication/091104_Peterson_Water&Agri_WEB.pdf
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EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
THE EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY--WHO WE ARE | WHAT WE
DO | HOW WE DO IT. EEA, 24 Nov 2009
The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve
significant and measurable improvement in Europe’s environment, through
the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policymaking agents and the public. Membership of the EEA is comprised of EU
Member States; it is also open to countries that are not Member States of
the European Union. There are now 32 member countries: the 27 EU
Member States together with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
and Turkey.
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/general-brochure-2009
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS IN EUROPE
2009. EEA, 12 Nov 2009
This report presents an assessment of the current and projected progress of
EU Member States, EU candidate countries and other EEA member countries
towards their respective targets under the Kyoto Protocol and of progress
towards the EU target for 2020. This is based on their past greenhouse gas
emissions between 1990 and 2007, and the projected greenhouse gas
emissions of these countries during the Kyoto commitment period 2008-2012
and for 2020, derived from data and related information they provided
before 1 June 2009.
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2009_9
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
GETTING A GRIP ON CRUISE SHIP POLLUTION.
Ross Klein. Friends of the Earth, December 1, 2009
The report takes a detailed look at the various ways in
which the cruise industry has harmed—and continues to
harm—the environments in which cruise ships travel.
“This report provides a vital resource to anyone
concerned about the cruise industry’s environmental
impacts. With today’s launch of the largest cruise ship
ever built—Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas—this
report shines a light on an industry that has long avoided
comprehensive environmental regulation and pollution controls,” said Marcie Keever, Friends of
the Earth’s Clean Vessels Campaign Director. “Cruise ships continue to dump sewage into our
waters and poison our air with engines that burn bottom-of-the barrel bunker fuel.”
http://www.foe.org/getting-grip-cruise-ship-pollution
SMALLER, SIMPLER AND MORE STABLE: DESIGNING CARBON
MARKETS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND FINANCIAL INTEGRITY.
Friends of the Earth. September 2009.
The carbon trading system that would be created by the energy bill that
passed the House of Representatives in June would be complex, volatile
and prone to gaming, concludes the report.
It also finds that emerging proposals to regulate derivatives are necessary
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but not sufficient to ensure the integrity of carbon markets. Instead, the report concludes, if
policymakers wish to use a cap-and-trade system as a tool to reduce global warming pollution,
they must design the system to be much simpler, smaller, and more stable than current
proposals. [PDF format, 17 pages].
http://www.foe.org/sites/default/files/CarbonMarketsReport.pdf
HARVARD
THREE PILLARS OF POST-2012 INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE POLICY.
Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements. Sheila M.
Olmstead and Robert N. Stavins. October 23, 2009.
The authors present a proposal for a post-2012 international global climate
policy agreement contains three essential elements: meaningful
involvement by key industrialized and developing nations; an emphasis on
an extended time path of targets; and inclusion of market-based policy
instruments. They believe the architecture is consistent with fundamental
aspects of the science, economics, and politics of global climate change.
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/files/stavins_olmstead%20_viewpoint.pdf
HERITAGE FOUNDATION
HOW OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION BENEFITS THE
ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Bruce Allen. Backgrounder
#2341. Heritage Foundation, November 30, 2009
Conventional wisdom holds that offshore oil and gas production harms the
surrounding environment. This blanket "wisdom" ignores the fact that the
largest source of marine hydrocarbon pollution is offshore natural oil
seepage. It also ignores the fact that offshore oil production has lowered
the amount of oil released into the ocean by reducing natural oil seepage,
especially in areas with active offshore oil seeps, such as California's Santa
Barbara coast. This Heritage Foundation analysis cites studies,
developments, and biological facts that demonstrate often-overlooked benefits of offshore oil
and gas production.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/bg2341.cfm
THE CLEAN ENERGY ACT OF 2009: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR
REAL NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY REFORM. Jack Spencer and Nicolas
Loris. WebMemo #2709. Heitage Foundation, November 23, 2009
Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Jim Webb (D-VA) recently
introduced their bipartisan Clean Energy Act of 2009 (CEA 2009), which
aims to create a business and regulatory environment to double nuclear
power production in just two decades. While their reform efforts are
laudable and necessary, most of their recommendations will not bring about
their desired results.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/upload/wm_2709.pdf
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WHAT AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE
COPENHAGEN GLOBAL WARMING CONFERENCE.
Ben Lieberman. Special Report #71. Heritage
Foundation, November 17, 2009
In December, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change will meet in Copenhagen to work on a successor treaty to the Kyoto
Protocol. U.S. negotiators should refuse to sign any climate change treaty that does not
include meaningful participation by China, India, and other major developing nations or that
would harm the U.S. economy or threaten U.S. sovereignty.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/sr0071.cfm
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE ROADMAP. ICLEI online
Leading local government associations world-wide that represent communities around the
globe, are driving the Local Government Climate Roadmap; a process that started during COP
13 in December 2007. The Roadmap advocates for a strong and comprehensive post-2012
global climate agreement, which will hopefully be adopted during COP 15 in Copenhagen
(Denmark), in December 2009. Local government associations in the international climate
negotiations aim to emphasize the crucial role of cities and local governments in climate
protection, and want this key role to be recognized in the post-2012 climate regime.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=7694
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY-BASED ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
Participatory Learning and Action No.60. IIED, Dec 2009.
This special issue of Participatory Learning and Action focuses on recent
approaches to climate change adaptation which are community-based and
participatory, building on the priorities, knowledge, and capacities of local
people. It discusses how community-based approaches to climate change
have emerged, and the similarities and differences between CBA and other
participatory development and disaster risk reduction approaches. It
highlights innovative participatory methods which are developing to help
communities analyze the causes and effects of climate change, integrate scientific and
community knowledge of climate change, and plan adaptation measures.
http://www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=14573IIED&n=1&l=212&c=climate
THE LANCET.COM
HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE. The Lancet.com, Launched in London, Nov 25, 2009
Climate change already affects human health, and, if no action is taken, problems such as
malnutrition, deaths and injury due to extreme weather conditions, and change in geographical
distribution of disease vectors will worsen. This Series is the result of an international
collaboration of scientists supported by a consortium of funding bodies coordinated by the
Wellcome Trust, UK. The Comments and Articles make a strong case for linking climate and
health goals, and provide a quantitative underpinning for this important health message.
Launched in London, Nov 25, 2009
http://www.thelancet.com/series/health-and-climate-change
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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CLEAN WATER AGENCIES
CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGE: AN EARLY ANALYSIS OF WATER AND
WASTEWATER ADAPTATION COSTS. National Association of Clean Water Agencies.
October 28, 2009.
The report details the impacts climate change can have on wastewater and drinking water
utilities and estimating the adaptation costs for these critical facilities to be between $448
billion and $944 billion through 2050. The associations, which represent the nation’s public
wastewater and drinking water agencies, urges Congress and the Obama administration to
recognize that climate change is fundamentally about water and to implement policies that will
help utilities take timely actions to adapt. [PDF format, 104 pages].
http://www.nacwa.org/images/stories/public/2009-10-28ccreport.pdf
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
Antarctic Warming, Antarctic Cooling. By Rachel Hauser. UCAR
Until recently, the Antarctic ice sheet looked to be bucking the global warming trend. This
assessment relied on temperature data collected from a sparse network of mostly coastal
weather stations. To provide a more complete picture of Antarctica’s historic surface
temperature regime, a team of U.S. scientists employed an innovative technique to construct
50-year estimates of the near-surface temperature anomalies for the entire continent. The
resulting climate field reconstructions for 1957-2006 show an overall warming trend across
Antarctica, with this trend being strongest over the West Antarctic ice sheet.
http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/index.php/ncar/articles/antarctic_warming_antarctic_cooling/
NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION
STATE GREEN ECONOMY PROFILES. National Governors Association. Mary Jo Waits
and Sue Gander. September 29, 2009.
As governors across the country look at ways they can help build a green economy in their
state, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) has
commissioned Collaborative Economics Inc. (CEI) to prepare a profile of each state’s “green”
economy. State profiles can be found by clicking on the map. The data is designed to provide a
detailed, empirical account of each state’s existing assets across multiple green sectors and
serve as a foundation for identifying future growth areas and related needs.
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.9123e83a1f6786440ddcbeeb50101
0a0/?vgnextoid=ce5bea15a18e3210VgnVCM1000005e00100aRCRD
NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL PARKS|Fall 2009
Features:


The Art of Mountain Watching, By Kevin Grange
Beyond the Bluegrass, By Amy Leinbach Marquis
http://www.npca.org/magazine/2009/fall/
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
GEO VISION: UNRAVELING EARTH’S COMPLEXITIES THROUGH THE
GEOSCIENCES. National Science Foundation. October 15, 2009.
Society stands at a crossroads. With growing problems such as resource
depletion, energy sustainability, environmental degradation and climate
change, can we protect the health of the planet while achieving
widespread economic prosperity? The report asks and attempts to answer.
http://www.nsf.gov/geo/acgeo/geovision/nsf_ac-geo_vision_10_2009.pdf
OCEANA
MAJOR EMITTERS AMONG HARDEST HIT BY OCEAN ACIDIFICATION.
Oceana, December 3, 2009
As ocean acidification worsens and coral reefs and fisheries begin to
collapse, many nations will suffer increased economic and food security
threats. Nations with large coral reef areas, or that catch and consume
large amounts of fish and shellfish, and those located at higher latitudes are
likely to be most vulnerable to ocean acidification. This analysis evaluated
the likely vulnerability of different countries to continued ocean acidification
based on the magnitude of their fish and shellfish catch, their level of
seafood consumption, the percentage of coral reefs within their exclusive economic zones
(EEZ) and the projected level of ocean acidification in their coastal waters in 2050.
http://na.oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Acidity_Vulnerability_Risk_report.pdf
ASHTA CHEMICALS’ ZERO MERCURY EMISSIONS CLAIM REFUTED BY
AIR MONITORING. Oceana, October 1, 2009
Every year, industrial factories report to the United States Toxics Release
Inventory the amounts of pollutants emitted or discharged into the
environment. For years, environmentally conscientious citizens could rely
on this self-reported data to better understand where toxins were entering
the environment. However, in last year's Toxics Release Inventory, Ashta
Chemicals (one of the last mercury-based chlorine factories in the country)
reported to the Environmental Protection Agency that the factory emitted
zero pounds of mercury into the air and zero pounds of mercury into Lake Erie. Oceana
performed air testing around the Ashta Chemicals factory in June 2009 to validate the figures
reported to the EPA. Ashta Chemicals, he smallest of four remaining mercury-based chloralkali
plants in the United States is the unmistakable source of elevated mercury air concentrations
detected downwind of the plant during two days of air monitoring conducted by Oceana in June
of 2009.
http://na.oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Ashta_Air.pdf
ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT'S (OECD)
OECD/IEA ANNEX I EXPERT GROUP RELEASES FIVE NEW PAPERS FOR COP15
COPENHAGEN. 03-Dec-2009
The OECD/IEA Annex I Expert Group has just released five new papers on: matching support
and GHG mitigation actions; how to register GHG mitigation actions post-2012; how to track
financial flows; assessing national and sectoral mitigation potential; sectoral approaches and
the carbon market. Click on the link and access them all free of charge.
http://www.oecd.org/document/44/0,3343,en_2649_34361_1904108_1_1_1_37465,00.html
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FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE: The OECD is ready to assist G20 countries in their
efforts to find lasting solutions to finance action on climate change, building on the
long-standing work of the organization to share country experiences and identify
lessons learnt and policy recommendations for good practice
The OECD works with government representatives from finance ministries, environment
ministries and development co-operation agencies, as well as with other international
organizations on key issues concerning financing climate change. We are examining key
questions on post-2012 financial architecture:
 Overall financial architecture: What are the goals and objectives of financial support for
climate action? How to track relevant streams of public finance and monitor/assess
progress in a transparent and accurate manner?
 Securing necessary financing flows: How much international public financing is needed?
How to reliably generate sufficient financing (public and private) for climate-friendly
investments?
 Governance of funds and experience to date: What goals of public finance and how to
use limited public finances in an environmentally-effective, economically-efficient, and
equitable manner? Priorities for disbursement and eligibility for funding?
OECD work on financing climate change, and other documents prepared recently for OECD
meetings by partner organisations, can be found at:
http://www.oecd.org/document/16/0,3343,en_2649_34361_43577616_1_1_1_37465,00.html
OXFAM INTERNATIONAL
BOLIVIA: CLIMATE CHANGE, POVERTY AND ADAPTATION. Oxfam
International. Web posted November 3, 2009.
Bolivia is a country particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
In July 2009, a team of Oxfam researchers travelled to three areas of
Bolivia, Trinidad in Beni, the Cochabamba valleys and Khapi under Mount
Illimani, in La Paz, to take a snapshot of how poor families are experiencing
the changing climate, and how they are adapting to it.
http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/boliviaclimate-change-adaptation-0911.pdf [PDF format, 71 pages].
EXPOSED: SOCIAL VULNERABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE
U.S. SOUTHEAST. Oxfam America. October 21, 2009.
A number of “hotspots” of vulnerability to climate-related hazards exist in
the U.S. southeast, according to the report. The report combines hazards
associated with climate change with social variables, revealing the people
and places that will most likely to be hit worst by climate change.“Climate
change will impact everyone, but not everyone will be impacted equally,”
said Oxfam America President Raymond C. Offenheiser. “Social factors like
income and race do not determine who will be hit by a natural disaster, but
they do determine a population’s ability to prepare, respond, and recover when disaster does
strike.” [PDF format, 24 pages].
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/files/Exposed-Social-Vulnerability-and-ClimateChange-in-the-US-Southeast.pdf
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PEW
CONGRESSIONAL POLICY BRIEF SERIES. Pew Center on Global
Climate Change, November 2008
Developed by Pew Center staff with input from a variety of outside experts,
these briefs walk policymakers through important design choices and the
strengths and weaknesses of various policy approaches. The modular
format will allow additional briefs to be developed over time in response to
questions from policymakers and their staffs.
http://www.pewclimate.org/congressional-policy-brief-series
DESIGN MATTERS: MAKING CATCH SHARES WORK. Pew Environment Group.
November 2009.
Catch shares are fishery management programs that allocate fishing privileges in the form of a
specific portion of the total annual catch quota. These programs range from individual
transferable quotas to community-based management systems such as sectors. While catch
shares take many forms, in general they allocate the quota to allow fishing entities exclusive
access to a portion of the quota, but require that fishing cease once that entity’s share of the
quota is met. Science-based annual catch limits are essential if catch shares are to be effective
and if requirements to end overfishing and rebuild depleted fish populations are to be met.
http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Protecting_o
cean_life/CatchShare.pdf?n=5322
MODEST SUPPORT FOR “CAP AND TRADE” POLICY: FEWER AMERICANS SEE SOLID
EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING. Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Andrew Kohut. October 22, 2009.
There has been a sharp decline over the past year in the percentage of Americans who say
there is solid evidence that global temperatures are rising. And fewer also see global warming
as a very serious problem – 35% say that today, down from 44% in April 2008. The latest
national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Sept. 30Oct. 4 among 1,500 adults reached on cell phones and landlines, finds that 57% think there is
solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past
few decades. In April 2008, 71% said there was solid evidence of rising global temperatures.
http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/556.pdf [PDF format, 23 pages].
AMERICAN CLEAN ENERGY LEADERSHIP ACT (ACELA): SUMMARY & COMPARISON TO
THE ACES ACT. Pew Center on Global Climate Change. October 2009.
The American Clean Energy Leadership Act (ACELA was passed as an energy bill with
provisions related to increased energy production, energy efficiency, renewable energy
standards, technology research and development, energy market stabilization, and
transmission network improvements, among others. The American Clean Energy Security Act
(ACES) Act contains many provisions related to those in ACELA as well as others designed to
tackle the issue of climate change. [PDF format, 33 pages].
http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/acela-summary-and-aces-act-comparison.pdf
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PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS IN HEALTH CARE: A SNAPSHOT OF
CHEMICALS IN DOCTORS AND NURSES. Physicians for Social
Responsibility. Bobbi Chase Wilding et al. October 2009.
Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) in partnership with American
Nurses Association (ANA) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) releases
the report, detailing the first investigation ever of chemicals found in the
bodies of health care professionals. The inquiry found that all of the 20
participants had toxic chemicals associated with health care in their bodies.
Each participant had at least 24 individual chemicals present, four of which
are on the recently released EPA list of priority chemicals for regulation.
http://www.nursingworld.org/DocumentVault/OccupationalEnvironment/Hazardou
s-Chemicals-In-Health-Care.aspx [PDF format, 40 pages].
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS
CARBON DISCLOSURE PROJECT 2009: GLOBAL 500 REPORT. Price
Waterhouse Coopers. 2009.
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) provides investors with an analysis of
how the world’s largest companies are responding to climate change.
http://www.pwc.com/en_GX/gx/carbon-disclosure-project/pdf/CDP2009-Global-500.pdf
RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE
FOREST CARBON INDEX. Resources for the Future and
Forestcarbonindex.org, December 3, 2009
Brazil, Indonesia, and nations in the Amazon-Andes and Central
America are poised to be key players in an emerging market for forest
carbon that could reach $20 billion annually through 2020 according to
a detailed analysis released today by Resources for the Future. The
Forest Carbon Index, developed by RFF and Climate Advisers, provides governments,
development agencies, NGOs, and private investors with geospatial data on global, national,
and local forest carbon supply, explicitly taking into account country-specific economic,
biological, and risk factors—such as governance and ease of doing business. The Index brings
together for the first time 21 datasets at the national scale and six datasets at a gridded
subnational scale, integrated and mapped across approximately one and a half million
locations at a resolution of 85.5 square kilometers.
http://www.rff.org/News/press_Releases/Pages/Forest-Carbon-Index-Press-Release.aspx
MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS: A
REVIEW AND SUMMARY OF REMOTE SENSING TECHNICAL
CAPABILITY, 2009–2015. Matthew Fagan, Ruth DeFries. RFF Report,
December 2009
Forests are ecosystems of fundamental importance to humanity, yet we
know little about the global status of forests. We can make more current
and informative maps of Mars than of the Amazon basin or the Russian
boreal forest. This gap in our knowledge arises from several sources,
including a historical shortage of tools to observe the entire globe; the lack
of consistent global initiatives on forests; balkanized, inconsistent recordkeeping; and the
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absence of a concerted and systematic effort to inventory and monitor the world’s forests. To
understand the planetary carbon budget, it is imperative to generate accurate and reliable
estimates of global forest cover and the amount of biomass and carbon harbored by the
planet’s forests. Yet widespread uncertainties in forest measurements have hampered efforts
to obtain this basic scientific data. Indeed, the most significant weaknesses in estimates of the
planetary carbon budget derive from uncertainties about terrestrial ecosystems. Satellite‐based
estimates of forest cover and biomass have begun to fill this need. To measure forests
worldwide, satellite imagery is a practical necessity.
http://www.rff.org/RFF/Documents/RFF-Rpt-Measurement%20and%20Monitoring.pdf
U.S. LEADERSHIP IN COPENHAGEN. Nigel Purvis, Andrew R
Stevenson. Backgrounder. RFF, November 2009
(…) while the Obama administration is taking steps toward regulating U.S.
emissions under the Clean Air Act, the timing and impact of that process is
also highly uncertain. Other countries understandably want greater clarity
on the shape of U.S. climate policy before committing internationally to
reciprocal actions. Only weeks remain before Copenhagen, and there is a
growing realization that the Senate is unlikely to finalize its work this year.
Many climate change diplomats and advocates from around the world are
looking to the Obama administration to give the international community a clear path forward.
How the United States handles the Copenhagen conference is of great importance to America
and the world.
http://www.rff.org/RFF/Documents/RFF-BCK-Purvis.Stevenson.11.9.09.pdf
TRUST FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH
HEALTH CARE PROBLEMS HEAT UP: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE
PUBLIC’S HEALTH. Trust for America’s Health. Jeffrey Levi et al.
October 26, 2009.
The report finds that only five states have published a strategic climate
change plan that includes a public health response. This includes planning
for health challenges and emergencies expected to develop from natural
disasters, pollution, and infectious diseases as temperatures and sea levels
rise. The report examines U.S. planning for changing health threats posed
by climate change, such as heat-related sickness, respiratory infections,
natural disasters, changes to the food supply, and infectious diseases carried by insects.
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/environment/TFAHClimateChangeWeb.pdf
UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
THE COPENHAGEN DIAGNOSIS, 2009: UPDATING THE WORLD ON
THE LATEST CLIMATE SCIENCE. The University of New South Wales
Climate Change Research Centre (CCRC), November 25, 2009
A new global scientific synthesis report prepared by 26 of the world's top
climate scientists, including JPL research scientist Eric Rignot and NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center researcher Robert Bindschadler, concludes that
several important aspects of climate change are occurring at the high end of,
or even beyond the expectations of just a few years ago. The report, "The
Copenhagen Diagnosis: Updating the World on the Latest Climate Science,"
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documents key findings in climate change science since December 2005. That was the cutoff
for scientific inputs used to prepare the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change Fourth Assessment Report, released in 2007.
http://www.copenhagendiagnosis.com/press.html
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)
STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2009: FACING A CHANGING
WORLD: WOMEN, POPULATION AND CLIMATE. U.N. Population
Fund. November 2009.
Climate is always changing, but never in known human experience more
dramatically than it is likely to change in the coming century, according to
the report. And, if the world is to avoid dangerous climate change, there
may be little room left in the atmosphere for poor countries to develop
economically through the same carbon-intensive energy patterns the
industrialized countries relied upon in their own development over the last
two centuries. Climate change’s influence on people is complex, spurring migration, destroying
livelihoods, disrupting economies, undermining development and exacerbating inequities
between the sexes. [PDF format, 104 pages].
http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/swp/englishswop09.pdf
AT THE FRONTIER: YOUNG PEOPLE AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
U.N. Population Fund. November 2009.
The supplemental report to the State of World Population 2009
addresses climate change and young people, through the lens of what
impact climate change is predicted to have, and what that will mean
for young people's lives, livelihoods, health, rights and development.
It explores these issues because the young people of today will be
standing in the frontline in the coming decades, meeting the
challenges posed by climate change.
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2009/en/pdf/EN_YSWOP09.pdf [PDF format, 56 pages].
WORLD BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
FIRST INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC ROADMAP EXAMINES EMISSIONS
REDUCTIONS IN CEMENT INDUSTRY. WBCSD, 3 December 2009
A roadmap published today by the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) calls for
strong national policies to activate known CO2 mitigation actions that the
sector can take now. It also issues a call to action to develop commercially
viable carbon capture and storage technologies as a method for further
reducing global CO2 emissions from the cement industry. The Cement
Technology Roadmap is the first report of its type to cover a whole industry
sector and is the result of 12 months of collaboration between the IEA and
the WBCSD's Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI).
http://www.wbcsd.org/Plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?DocTypeId=251&ObjectId=MzY3NDg
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THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION (IUCN)
IUCN POSITION PAPERS FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES
TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (COP15),
7TH – 18TH DECEMBER, 2009, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
1. NO TIME TO LOSE – MAKE FULL USE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN THE
POST-2012 CLIMATE CHANGE REGIME.
IUCN urges Parties to:
 recognize the role that ecosystems can play in enabling people to adapt to climate
change under the Adaptation Framework currently being discussed.
IUCN urges Parties to:
 Recognize the role of women as agents of change in climate change in the post-2012
climate change regime;
 Ensure that UNFCCC agreements and statements are in alignment with global goals and
strategies, Conventions and agreements, by including specific gender equality text;
 Recognize and respect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities in
accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
UNDRIP, ensure their full and effective participation and free, prior and informed
consent, and recognize the stewardship role and contributions of indigenous peoples’
traditional knowledge, innovations and practices.
http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iucn_position_paper_unfccc_cop_15.pdf
2. ECOSYSTEM-BASED ADAPTATION IN THE NEGOTIATING TEXTS AND
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. IUCN.
Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) integrates the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services
into an overall adaptation strategy to help people to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate
change. Ecosystem-based adaptation uses the sustainable management, conservation, and
restoration of ecosystems to provide services that enable people to adapt to both current
climate variability and change. It aims to maintain and increase the resilience and reduce the
vulnerability of ecosystems and people. EbA is a means of adaptation that is readily available
to the rural poor, and can generate social, economic and cultural co-benefits, building on the
traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities. It can contribute to the
conservation of biodiversity and build on the extensive investment and experience in natural
resource management, including the establishment and governance of protected area systems.
In addition, healthy, well managed ecosystems have climate change mitigation potential. For
example, through the sequestration and storage of carbon in healthy forests, wetlands, and
coastal ecosystems.
http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iucn_position_paper_eba_unfccc_cop_15.pdf
3. REDUCING EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION
(REDD) IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
IUCN urges Parties to reach an agreement on a REDD-plus mechanism that notes that the
overarching aim is to avoid greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation as a necessary component of achieving deep cuts in all sources of anthropogenic
emissions in order to mitigate climate change.
http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iucn_position_paper_redd_unfccc_cop_15.pdf
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4. THE OCEAN AND COASTS
IUCN urges Parties to recognize, in the post 2012 regime, the contribution that healthy marine
and coastal ecosystems can deliver towards both mitigation and adaptation strategies.
http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iucn_position_paper_ocean_and_coasts_unfccc_cop_15.pdf
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
FACT SHEET: STACKING PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.
World Resources Institute. Nicholas Bianco. November 12, 2009.
Payments for ecosystem services are becoming an increasingly important
part of the U.S. business and regulatory landscape. As programs that
provide payments for ecosystem services grow, policy makers will need to
determine how these various payments should interact with each other.
[PDF format, 4 pages].
http://pdf.wri.org/factsheets/factsheet_stacking_payments_for_ecosystem_services.pdf
REVIEWING AND VERIFYING INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ACTION.
World Resources Institute. Paul Joffe. November 11, 2009.
Climate change is a global issue that requires action from all countries. As
the U.S. Congress develops a domestic climate and energy package, the
United States seeks assurance that other countries will also act and a
means to track the progress of commitments by verifying that actions have
been implemented.
[PDF format, 2 pages].
http://pdf.wri.org/countdown_to_copenhagen_reviewing_and_verifying.pdf
POWER, RESPONSIBILITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY: RE-THINKING
THE LEGITIMACY OF INSTITUTIIONS FOR CLIMATE FINANCE. World
Resource Institute. Athena Ballesteros et al. Web posted November
2, 2009.
The authors explain how international climate finance could make or break
a deal in Copenhagen. [PDF format, 57 pages].
http://pdf.wri.org/working_papers/power_responsibility_accountability.pdf
GETTING TO YES ON CLIMATE CHANGE – ACTION OF OTHER COUNTRIES: HEARING
BEFORE THE UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC
WORKS. Testimony of Jonathan Lash, World Resources Institute. October 29, 2009.
Lash says that “Only if all nations come forward with what they propose to do is agreement
possible. The question is no longer whether others will act. They are acting. The question is
whether we will act. The point is no longer that global warming cannot be addressed without
those other countries. The point is that it cannot be addressed without this country and that
we cannot gain the benefits of leadership unless we enact climate legislation.”
http://pdf.wri.org/testimony/jonathan_lash_testimony_cejapa.pdf
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WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE
UNITED STATES UNDER PRESSURE TO PROTECT TROPICAL FORESTS. Worldwatch
Institute. Ben Block. October 19, 2009.
A coalition of businesses, environmentalists, and scientists is uniting to request that U.S.
climate policy help tropical nations protect their forests as an affordable strategy to offset U.S.
emissions. [HTML format, various paging].
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6289
WORLD WILDLIFE FEDERATION
ZERO NET DEFORESTATION BY 2020. W orld
Wildlife Fund. November 19, 2009.
Ninth Conference of Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD COP9) in May 2008 in Bonn,
delegates of 67 countries pledged support for WWF's call
for zero net deforestation by 2020. [PDF format, 6
pages].
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_2020_zero_net_deforest_brief.pdf
CLIMATE SOLUTIONS 2: LOW-CARBON RE-INDUSTRALISATION.
World Wildlife Fund. Karl Mallon et al. October 19, 2009.
The report finds that beyond 2014 the feasible upper limits of industrial
growth rates will make it impossible for market economies to meet the
carbon targets required to keep global warming below 2°C. The report also
finds that market measures alone will not be enough to deliver emissions
reductions on the scale required and that delays will increase the levels of
direct intervention needed in the economy. [PDF format, 159 pages].
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/climate_solutions_2___full_report_for_publication.pdf
YALE UNIVERSITY
AWAITING CLIMATE ACCORD, GOVERNMENTS TOY WITH DUBIOUS MEASURES.
YaleGlobal. Doaa Abdel Motaal. November 6, 2009.
In the lead up to the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December, developed and developing
nations are already preparing themselves for the outcome, a multilateral deal or not. This
approach is bound to harm the prospects for reversing global warming, for fostering free trade,
and for ensuring competition, according to World Trade Organization Counselor Doaa Abdel
Motaal. Many countries plan to enact unilateral measures to prevent domestic industries from
losing competitiveness and to stem “carbon leakage,” the shift in emissions from countries that
cap emissions to those that don’t. If a congeries of unilateral measures get enacted, the
potential for discord over tackling climate change is likely to become more pronounced. Such
strife would do little to help the environment. [HTML format, various paging].
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/awaiting-climate-accord-governments-toydubious-measures
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BEYOND COPENHAGEN: HOW TO COOL THE PLANET. YaleGlobal. Peter Heat et al.
October 21, 2009.
The authors believe that at this stage, it looks unlikely for the climate change convention in
Copenhagen in December to achieve much in terms of lowering greenhouse gases. Moreover,
there are many technical aspects to concluding a climate accord that replaces, let alone
surpasses, the Kyoto Protocol that still need to be hammered out. Even with some stumbling
blocks, the authors believe that the G20 is the most appropriate body to come up with an
agreement to curtail climate change. While there is no guarantee the G20 would be successful,
few others have the authority to make such the sweeping reforms and compromises necessary
to cool the planet. [HTML format, various paging].
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/beyond-copenhagen-how-cool-planet
HOW NOT TO KILL THE OCEANS FOR FISH. YaleGlobal. Alex David Rogers. September
18, 2009.
The oceans and the seas, life givers to billions of people
through sustenance and subsistence, are being quickly
depleted of their fish through wasteful fishing methods,
fisher overcapacity, and illegal fishing, writes the author.
The degradation not only affects the sustainability of an
important food source and the age-old industry of fishing, it
also harms the largest ecosystem in the world as coral reefs
become more fragile and dead zones proliferate due to lack
of oxygen. But this decline can be forestalled, Rogers
believes. [HTML format, various paging].
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/how-not-kill-oceans-fish
ARTICLES FROM U.S. JOURNALS
WHEN THE GLACIER LEFT- In surprising ways, a Himalayan village adapts to a
changing climate. By Jonathan Mingle. Boston.com, November 29, 2009
In the village of Kumik, in a remote Himalayan valley of northwest India known as Zanskar,
people have an old saying, “Kha Kumik, chu Shila” - the snow falls above Kumik, but the water
goes to Shila, a nearby settlement. Intoned with a rhythmic staccato, these six syllables elicit
laughs of recognition from most Zanskaris. “Isn’t that life for you?”
Residents of Kumik laugh, too, but more ruefully of late. The people of the village, known as
Kumikpas, are mostly subsistence farmers, dependent on seasonal meltwater from snowfields
and a small glacier at the top of the valley. But in the last several years, Kumik has
experienced a drought of unprecedented severity. Due to changing weather patterns, the snow
falls above Kumik less often every year. The glacier, once a blanket over the head of the
valley, is now a small cap on the mountaintop. Springs have gotten warmer, melting much of
the snow before the short growing season begins in June.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/11/29/when_the_glacier_left?mode=PF
IS GLOBAL WARMING UNSTOPPABLE? THEORY ALSO SAYS ENERGY CONSERVATION
DOESN'T HELP. The News Center, Univ. of Utah. Nov. 22, 2009
In a provocative new study, a University of Utah scientist argues that rising carbon dioxide
emissions - the major cause of global warming - cannot be stabilized unless the world's
economy collapses or society builds the equivalent of one new nuclear power plant each day.
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"It looks unlikely that there will be any substantial near-term departure from recently observed
acceleration in carbon dioxide emission rates," says the new paper by Tim Garrett, an
associate professor of atmospheric sciences.
Garrett's study was panned by some economists and rejected by several journals before
acceptance by Climatic Change, a journal edited by renowned Stanford University climate
scientist Stephen Schneider. The study will be published online this week.
http://ow.ly/HTwo
COUNTDOWN TO COPENHAGEN. Stokes, Bruce. National Journal, October 31, 2009
Summary: Stokes says that the negotiations at the climate-change talks in Copenhagen in
December promise to be a daunting task. It is estimated that emissions will need to be cut by
50 percent by 2050 in order to hold the temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius and carbondioxide concentrations to 450 parts per million. The industrialized world’s goals at the
conference will reflect their publics’ acknowledgement of the seriousness of the problem -- and
in this, the U.S. lags behind the rest of the developed world. The developing nations see
binding commitments as not in their national interest, noting that they account for only a
fraction of global emissions, and want the developed countries to help pay for clean technology
and environmental mitigation. Most countries are reluctant to take action on their own, without
seeing that others are doing the same. Stokes says that “the central challenge in Copenhagen
may well be finding a way to nurture trust and marry it with ambition . . . Coordinating these
activities, striking a balance between accountability and equity, and pursuing the goals with
sufficient urgency may prove to be among the most daunting tasks that the global community
has ever undertaken.” Currently available online at
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cs_20091031_9295.php
THE NEW ENERGY BEAT. Brainard, Curtis; Russell, Cristine. Columbia Journalism
Review, September/October 2009
Summary: Climate change and energy issue reporting behooves journalists to collaborate
within the newsroom and with news outlets to deepen expertise and resources to better
explain these critical, complex topics. Varied regional concerns and new technologies increase
the need for a broad knowledge base that allows for delving beyond the pronouncements of
politicians or industry lobbyists. Covering energy well means giving a comprehensive “big
picture” that can both inform and influence the public and policy makers. Available online at
http://www.cjr.org/feature/the_new_energy_beat.php
More about environmental issues:
http://www.america.gov/global/environ.html
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